Escaped Hawaii psychiatric patient fights return to islands

Nov. 28, 2017

HONOLULU (AP) — A man who escaped from a Hawaii psychiatric hospital and flew to California is fighting his return to the islands.

Randall Saito will face an extradition hearing on Dec. 5.

The Hawaii attorney general's office says Saito appeared in court in Stockton on Monday. He had the option of admitting his identity and returning to Hawaii or asking for a hearing to contest his extradition. He chose to challenge his extradition.

Saito has been a Hawaii State Hospital patient for nearly four decades since being found not guilty by reason of insanity of a woman's murder.

He walked out of the hospital on Nov. 12 and took a taxi to the airport. Police arrested him in Stockton three days later.